If It's Too Loud...

Photo by Josh Armstrong Brighton, UK's congratulations have a new single out that's as fun as it is unique. "Fought 4 Love" is an absurdly dance friendly indie rock song that has one of the hardest grooves in recent memory. It's definitely a rock song, although the dance side is just as apparent. The fuzzy guitars sound like they're more on the garage rock side of things, as is the guitar solo. But there's no denying how much "Fought 4 Love" grooves. It sounds almost like Jack White was heavily influenced by Deee-Lite and 70's disco. congratulations have the perfect song to bang your head to while busting out your finest dance moves. congratulations say of their latest single: “There are so many songs out there about love; falling in love, being in love, but what about falling out of love? No, not a breakup song, there are plenty of those, this is an anti-love song, realising that sometimes letting go of love is the best thing for you, that w...

Photo by Mike Spencer Boston rock and soul supergroup Reckoners are back with a new single. "We Saw It All" is a wonderfully chill and upbeat track that lands squarely between rock and soul. It has all of the smoothness of soul with some of the grit of rock. This is a killer roots/Americana track that is going to appeal to fans of folk, soul, garage rock, and even jam fans. Reckoners are the kind of band that can easily work at any outdoor summer music festival in New England with a virtually universal appeal. They're not rewriting the rules of any genre of music, yet no one sounds quite like Reckoners do. Singer/guitarist Tim Gearan says of the band's latest single: " Mother Nature holds up a mirror to mankind and asks, 'Do you see all the spectacular potential in all of this?' So we build, invent, and procreate, looking for ways to dignify our existence, and much of this is noble. I guess the idea is, we can stand back and observe our achievements, but ...

Back in January we brought you "Beginning to See the Dark" from Boston's Joshua David Thayer. It was primarily a folk/singer-songwriter track with an "oddly spacey vibe." Now Thayer is back with a new single that goes in an almost completely different direction. "Pulled and Pushed" starts out much more electronically than we would expect from Thayer, and it's kind of like a trip hop meets singer-songwriter track. The song wanders around a bit in this style, with a ultra cool and kinda spooky vibe. And just as you're starting to really enjoy the style of the song, it erupts into a full out rock ending. "Pulled and Pushed" doesn't sound like much else to come out of Boston in a while. You can listen to "Pulled and Pushed" below. So Little, Close to Nothing is due out December 5 and is available to pre-order through Bandcamp . For more on Joshua David Thayer, check out the artist on Instagram and Facebook . Pulled and Push...

Boston's Will Dailey has a new single off his (somewhat) upcoming album. "Tremble On Me" is the height of what you can do with the singer-songwriter genre. It's the type of song that's going to work with both your mainstream music fans and music snobs alike. There's a hint of 90's Adult Contemporary in "Tremble On Me," along with some more modern twang. It's not quite a country song, but there's more twang than you could ignore. Will Dailey has long been one of the most underrated musicians in Boston, if not the entire music community. Songs like "Tremble On Me" will show the uninitiated exactly why. You can watch the video for "Tremble On Me" below. Boys Talking is available now at Will Dailey's merch table, website , and Bandcamp . It will be officially released to streaming services on February 27. Upcoming live shows are below the video and include December 13 at the Paradise Rock Club in Boston. Dec 4th Buffal...

Photo by Barry Netburn Sandy is Long Island based singer, songwriter, produder, ventriloquist, and guitarist Sandy Netburn. The eighteen year old artist just released a single for "I've Got Issues," a theatrical folk-pop protest song. It's the kind of song that will fully suck you in with melody and harmony before you even notice the lyrics. Musically, it's a fun track, with lyrics that lean a little more dark. Sandy is the type of artist that is going to grab you immediately, and you'll want to dig a little further into her very young career. Sandy Netburn says of her music and creative side: “I have always loved creating and performing. For as long as I can remember, I just always wanted to entertain. It almost feels like I NEED to… I can't go without it. So I explored, and I continue to explore, and found I love so much about the arts. I feel like that is where I belong.” You can watch the video for "I've Got Issues" below. Issues is avail...

Boston's The Grownup Noise has a new single out that is perfect for this oddly nostalgic week. "See You in the Hall" is a cinematic version of indie rock with some heavy pop elements. It sounds kind of like a twee band decided to fully rock out, with some surprisingly heavy groove and more than a few emo elements. Plus, Katie Franich adds in some killer cello on "See You in the Hall," which is a statement we don't get to make nearly enough. The long time Boston band are back with their original line up for the first time in a decade, and we can't wait to see where The Grownup Noise go next. Frontman Paul Hansen says of his band's latest single: “Every 50-year-old songwriter eventually ends up writing about high school again, But this song isn’t about nostalgia. It’s about that person — the one kid who was weirdly, impossibly self-aware while the rest of us were just fumbling around in our own oblivious little universes.” You can listen to "See ...

Photo by Vladim Vilain Dominique Fils-Aimé  is a JUNO-winning singer-songwriter who has a new single out that we're finding absolutely mesmerizing. "Going Home" can best be defined as "roots" music simply based on how many styles of roots music in encompasses. You're mostly going to hear folk with jazz vocals, but the song is quite nuanced with multiple changes in tempo and style. It's traditional while mixing in a more modern or even progressive folk style. The song is simply guitar and vocals, but is incredibly layered and complex despite this. It takes almost a minute and a half for the song to fully kick in, but even before that point you'll end up smitten with "Going Home." This one is truly great, and has us dying to hear more from Dominique Fils-Aim é. Dominique Fils-Aimé  says of her latest single: “ Home can be a state of mind, home can be a loved one’s arms, home can be a cup of tea .  You are cordially invited to disconnect from ...

Photo by Katy McElroy Detroit band Winged Wheel, which features ex-Sonic Youth drummer Steve Shelley, returns with a new single off their upcoming third album. "Beautiful Holy Jewel Home" is a mellow yet intense sonic experimentation. It's a noisy song that sounds kind of like if Neil Young tried his hand at playing shoegaze. It's a fuzzed filled song that is (relatively) mainstream, as far as experimental music goes. The song starts off somewhat straight forward before devolving into a mess of instruments, and then reforms itself just before coming to an end. As noise rock focused as "Beautiful Holy Jewel Home" is, it also has a strong base in roots music. If you love 90's indie rock, and especially if you miss bands like Sonic Youth, you're going to be all in for Winged Wheel. You can listen to "Beautiful Holy Jewel Home" below. Desert So Green is due out January 9 on 12XU, and is available for pre-order through Bandcamp . For more on Win...

Back in college, Letters to Cleo were basically my Grateful Dead. I'd go see them multiple times in the same week between greater Boston, Providence, and Northampton, plus sometimes back to back nights when they were on the college circuit. These days, we're pretty much down to seeing them once a year when they come back and play the Paradise for multiple nights. This year marks the thirtieth anniversary of their second album, Wholesale Meats and Fish.  In 2017, Letters to Cleo played three nights at the Paradise, playing one of their albums each night. That year, the first night was the only night I could make it to, so we saw Aurora Gory Alice. Wholesale Meats and Fish is my personal favorite album, so seeing it played live was a true treat. Song like "Demon Rock," "Acid Jed," and "Pizza Cutter" are regulars in their live set, but Friday night I got to see songs I haven't seen live in probably around thirty years. These included "Do What...

Photo by Amanda Cheng New Zealand dream pop artists Phoebe Rings have released the second in their covers series. Last month saw them release a cover of Beach House's "Astronaut." Last week they released a cover of Yoon Sang's "Between the Hidden Hours." While the original is a piano ballad, Phoebe Rings chose to go with a more lush, full band version. It's an absolutely gorgeous version of the song, feeling very cinematic in its scope. Even not understanding a single lyric, the emotion and vibe of the song is perfectly captured and translated by Crystal Choi's vocal performance. It's a mesmerizing song that will have you rushing to hear Yoon Sang's original, if you're unfamiliar like we were. It's the perfect cover to get even more excited for Phoebe Rings' trip into New England for multiple shows next week. You can hear Phoebe Rings' version of "Between the Hidden Hours" below. The single is out now on Carpark Reco...

I was extremely excited for the Weakened Friends show Thursday night. As each band playing was announced, I got even more excited since I love all three bands that ended up playing. Weakened Friends, NOVA ONE, and Pinklids are all bands that we've been covering for a while now, and watching grow as artists, and it's been great to become a bigger fan of them and see them evolve. We first covered Weakened Friends back in September 2015 when they released Gloomy Tunes . Back then, they were pretty much the house band for when a 90's band came through town, particularly at The Sinclair. Thursday night saw them headlining The Sinclair on tour for their excellent new album Feels Like Hell. They took the stage like conquering heroes, with an adoring crowd screaming along to virtually every word of every song. The focus of the show was obviously the songs on the new album (some of my personal favorites were "NPC" with Jared Egan of Sidewalk Driver filling in for Buckethea...

Photo by Jackie Freeman Burlington, VT's Robber Robber released Wild Guess  last year, which was a musical highlight for 2024. Now, they're back with a new single, their first on Fire Talk Records. "Talkback" keeps the band's post-punk sound, but it's a more dance friendly, almost more poppy version. Of course, calling a song poppy is a relative term, as it's still a fairly dissonant song, but one you're going to want to dance to. It's also perfect for just listening to as you try to dissect all of the elements of the song. As with most songs from Robber Robber, "Talkback" is fairly undefinable, so just sit back (or stand and dance) while you let the song wash over you. You can watch the video for "Talkback" below. The single is out now on Fire Talk Records. For more on Robber Robber, check out the band on Instagram .

JVK are one of those bands that seems poised to break out of the Boston music scene. Their latest single, "When I Think About Love," is a fantastic mix of punk rock, pop, electro pop, and just straight up rock. The whole thing has a certain 90's vibe going to it, mixing rock from that era with New Wave. It's a glammed up package that sounds kind of like if Joan Jett had been inspired by Van Halen's "Jump" or Def Leppard's "Love Bites." As 80's inspired as "When I Think About Love" sounds, it's not a song trying to be a throwback. It may draw inspiration from some classic sounds, but this is a completely modern sound. Plus, this sounds like it's going to become one of the most fun songs in JVK's live shows, so let's all try to get to one ASAP before they graduate from small clubs. You can listen to "When I Think About Love" below. For more on JVK, check out the band's website .

Massachusetts' own Adios Fatso are back with a new single, "Gopro, Not Again!," an ode to the "... frustration as your Gopro fails at the worst possible time." As with most songs from the band, this one is a mix of punk and indie rock. However, this one seems to be a bit more catchy and bordering right on the line of being mainstream. It's a fun and noisy track that is sure to burrow itself deep into your mind. Somehow, this song is a little over two minutes long despite how much it has going on. It's a burst of energy and silly anger, with some of the best "Woah-oh-oh-oh"s we've heard in a long time. Plus, "Gopro, Not Again" ends with a blazing guitar solo, leaving you with a desperate desire for more. You can watch the video for "Gopro, Not Again" below. For more on Adios Fatso, check out the band on Instagram and Bandcamp .

1994's  ¡ Sim patico! was the album when I first discovered Velocity Girl, so I'm thrilled that it's getting a reissue. The reissue is also an expanded version, so it will include B-sides and rarities, one of which is a cover of New Order's "Your Silent Face." It's an almost unrecognizable cover as the New Wave original is transformed into a 90's alt-rocker. The trademark synth notes are replaced with guitar chords, but New Order die hards will most likely recognize it right away. There is also harmonica replacing synths, which works amazingly well. As a fan of cover songs, this is my favorite kind: It stays true to the original while making it their own. Let's just hope this second Velocity Girl reissue leads to more live dates, preferably in New England. You can listen to Velocity Girl's cover of "Your Silent Face" below.  ¡ Simpatico! (Remastered and Expanded) is due out February 23 on Sub Pop Records, and is available for pre-orde...

Photo by Aileen Lam The trend in shoegaze these days is to mix up the formula and cross pollinate it with other musical genres. Hong Kong's Lucid Express aren't doing that on "Something Blue," and have released one of the most pure shoegaze songs of the year. The song feels like you're dreaming. It's hazy and fuzzy, with just the right amount of loud/quiet/loud. The feedback squall that telegraphed the first loud chorus was just about perfect, and gave me some 90's college flashbacks. "Something Blue" is a gorgeous and breathtaking track, and fans of classic shoegaze are going to be transfixed by Lucid Express. You can watch the video for "Something Blue" below. Instant Comfort is due out February 20 on Kanine Records, and is available for pre-order here . For more on Lucid Express, check out the band on Facebook and Instagram .

Photo by Jason Zucco It seems bonkers to me that Converge has been around for thirty-five years now, but considering they formed in 1990, it makes mathematical (if not emotional) sense. The Boston metalcore titans are once again back with a new single. "Love Is Not Enough" is, predictably, a powerhouse song. It's loud and dissonant and filled with all of the aggression you require for a Converge song. Despite being around for three and a half decades, they're showing zero signs of even slowing down a tiny bit. What makes them stand out apart from most of their peers, and makes them appeal to those of us who don't typically love music this heavy, is just how hard a song like "Love Is Not Enough" grooves. Plus, it cycles through multiple speeds and sounds in just under two and a half minutes. I certainly don't need to tell anyone how great Converge are, especially since they continue to prove it again and again. Vocalist/lyricist Jacob Bannon says the ...

Photo by Dan Saltzman Boston's TELL have returned with a new protest song written in the wake of the 2024 election. "Things to Do When It's Dark" is a dark and ominous song, for obvious reasons. To me, it sounds like if Leonard Cohen wrote a noise rock or post punk song. There's also a somewhat unexpected glam element to the song, albeit a gritty and grungy one. Despite being three and a half minutes long, there's a lot going on in "Things to Do When It's Dark." While protest music is typically furious and loud, TELL's is more brooding and thoughtful, as if you're trying to figure out what can actually be done. Dan Wildman (guitar, lead vocals, and keyboard) says of his band's latest single: “I wrote ‘Things To Do When It’s Dark’ right after the horrific election. I was traumatized and the only way I could deal with it was to write a song. I had lyrics in the verse that were kind of a screed about what Trump is going to do to our coun...

Nick & June is the Berlin based musical duo comprised of Nick Wolf and Suzie-Lou Kraft. Their latest single, "2017," sees the pair team with Peter Silberman of The Antlers. The new single is a gorgeous and lush song that combines folk with dream pop. It's a highly compelling song that instantly sucks you in with haunting and alluring vocals. What's truly interesting is how the song could have been a simple folk or singer-songwriter track and been stellar. But the addition of droning guitars and a hazy dream pop vibe brings "2017" to an entirely new level. Nick & June have crafted a mesmerizing and highly addictive song with their latest. Nick Wolf says of his band's latest single: “It’s good to occasionally ask yourself why  your mind keeps wandering back to  the past. Who’s still living in 2017?  Ever since I  discovered The Antlers’ album ‘Hospice’ back in 2009, I’ve been a huge fan of Peter and the band. To me, he’s one of the best songwriters...

Photo by Kittie Krivacic Magic Fig continue to be the perfect example of what psych-pop from San Francisco should sound like in 2025. Their latest single, "Goblin," is a gorgeous dream-like song that stays compelling throughout it's six minute length. Every time the song starts to get a little too comfortable in its sound, it adjusts and transforms just enough to keep it interesting. It sounds like Magic Fig collected their favorite parts of music in the past six decades to make "Goblin." It's poppy, and trippy, and somewhat twee at times while being epic at others. This is the kind of song that will make you feel like you're on psychedelics without actually imbibing.  Inna Showalter (vocals/mellotron) says of her band's latest single is... : “About the fickleness of inspiration. It’s also a song about wearing disguises and not being authentic, which causes harm in the long run. The desire to be accepted and ‘good’ cannot always coexist with followin...

Photo by Jeff Pitcher Chaos was my third favorite album of 2024, so I'm thrilled that The Baby Seals are back with a new song. The Cambridgeshire punks just released "Tamoo Trance," a fun and energetic punk track. The song is "... about getting stuck in a trance-like state in an online shop," which is perfect for The Baby Seals. It's funny without being jokey, and is delightfully biting. It's filled with fuzzed out guitars and heavy bass lines, and shows just how fun the genre can be. "Tamoo Trance" is one of those songs that's both punk and pop without being pop punk. If anything, it fits into the subgenres of noise punk and garage punk, just on the far reaches of the fun side of those styles. Frontwoman Kerry says of the band's latest single: “... (it’s) about noticing how quickly we get entrapped online into spending money, and spending the latest form of currency, our attention, and questioning how to break away from it.  It's a...

Photo by Richard McCaffrey The latest from Deer Tick is perfect for the upcoming/current holiday season, but it could also work out for any time of the year. "Light Up Reindeer" is exactly what we love about the Providence band. It merges the worlds of country, folk, and rock into one sound. This one is more of a laid back rock song with flecks of country, and reminds me a lot of Tom Petty's sound. "Light Up Reindeer" is more of a holiday song by title, but I'm still going to sneak it onto a Christmas playlist or two. This is a welcome return from Deer Tick, and shows why they've been a favorite of ours long before we started If It's Too Loud... Ian O'Neil (guitar/vocals) says of his band's latest single: "Light Up Reindeer is about the interior conversation you have with yourself when you're trying to talk yourself away from your darkest thoughts. Useless, intrusive thinking puts a distance between the best part of ourselves and the...

Photo by David Doobinin Boston alt-rock legend Juliana Hatfield has a new single out from her upcoming album, and this one is going to make virtually every one of her fans delighted. "Fall Apart" captures the mood of her earlier, 90's music and combines it with her more recent, more laid back sound. It lands in this great middle ground between The Juliana Hatfield Three and Adult Contemporary. Hatfield was one of the stand-out artists during the 90's alt-rock boom, and "Fall Apart" shows why she's still one of the most beloved and respected artists decades into her career. I'll challenge anyone to hold "Fall Apart" up to any of her work from the 90's. This is truly one of her most compelling songs she's released. Juliana Hatfield says of her latest single: “I do make a point to say I fall apart now and then. It's not that I have fallen apart and you can never put me back together. I'm just talking about things that are real....

Artist : STL GLD Album : Good Music for Bad Kids Quick Thoughts : I get that Joyner Lucas gets all the regional rap love here, but at what point are we willing to admit that STL GLD is New England's best rap act? The beats are grimy and addictive, the lyricism unmatched, and the collective regularly punches above its weight. We love the act here, and Good Music is one of those records that show how deserving they are of a breakout. Songs of Note : "80's Babies," "Ayo Edebiri," 24KT," "Dances With Wolves," "The Get Up Kids," "Too Much," "The Clapper" Artist : Austra Album : Chin Up Buttercup Quick Thoughts : The opening line of "Math Equation" is probably the most brutal breakup lyric I've ever heard. It's a sad dance album in so many ways, as the cover clearly demonstrates, but as someone who has been a fan of Austra for ages now, this is one of her stronger albums. A really, really g...